Devotionals
Why I Pray
And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” (Mark 11:17 ESV) The feasts designed to honor The Lord had become a circus of money-making and swindling. The poor were being taken advantage of, the greedy were capitalizing on the requirements of the Law in order to make a personal profit. That’s when Jesus cleaned house. Tables were turning, coins were rolling, pigeons were flapping, and… Read More
A Generation Set Free
“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (Mark 9:37 ESV) Jesus loves kids. He held them, blessed them, healed them, and honored them throughout the entirety of His ministry on earth. In Mark 9 we read of the disciples who are arguing among themselves over who is the greatest. Jesus responds by bringing a child over and talking about the humility and innocence of a child that brings great reward. It is my opinion that ministry to… Read More
Learning Begins with Humility
[Apollos] had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. (Acts 18:25, 26 ESV) You only know what you know, and you don’t know what you don’t know. Every vehicle I have ever driven has blind spots – areas where sight… Read More
When Others Despise Your Transformation
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. (Acts 16:16 ESV) Luke is known for capturing details that help paint a picture for us to easily visualize the encounters he experienced. In one sentence he describes the personal bondage of a young unnamed girl – and we can’t help but feel compassion toward her. This girl is like so many people we encounter everyday: She was enslaved spiritually. She was… Read More
How Do You Respond When You Are Proven Wrong?
Every now and then I am wrong about something or someone. Like many people, I am typically gracious to give the benefit of the doubt, to withhold personal judgment against others; but occasionally I come to a conclusion that, although is based on seemingly solid evidence at the time, ends up being less than accurate. The Jewish believers were concerned about Peter’s recent conversation with a group of Gentiles (non-Jews). They sincerely believed that salvation through Jesus was specifically and solely given to the Jews. Then Peter, who himself had to be… Read More
Pastor Dale Jenkins 